After Chase was sure that she was safely on her way, he closed the heavy oak door and stepped closer to the desk. His size made the cozy room, a room that Zedd had always thought quite comfortable, seem rather cramped.

"Now, what's the problem?"

The man wasn't going to be satisfied until he knew more. Zed sighed and used a finger lo spin the book around for the boundary warden lo read.

"Take a look. You tell me."

Chase glanced at the ancient book. He lifted a page to each side and briefly took a look before setting each page back down.

"Like I said, what's the problem? It doesn't look like there is much here to worry about."

Zedd arched an eyebrow. "That's the problem."

"What do you mean?"

"It's a book of prophecy. It's supposed to have writing in it-prophecy. You can't have a book with no writing and have it still be a proper book, now can you? The writing is gone."

"Gone?" Chase scratched a graying temple. "That doesn't make any sense. How can writing be gone? It's not like someone could steal the words right off the page."

That was an interesting way to look at it-that someone had stolen the words right off the page. Having been a boundary warden most of his life-until the boundary came down a few years back-Chase was the kind of man who would suspect theft before anything else. Zedd hadn't considered that possibility. His mind was already rushing down the unexplored dark alley of deliberation.

"I don't know how the words could be gone," he confided as he took a sip of tea.

"What is the prophecy about?" Chase asked.

"This happens to be a book of prophecy mostly about Richard."

Chase looked completely calm, which of course meant that he was anything but. "Are you certain it used to have writing in it?" he asked. "If it's old, maybe you just forgot that it had blank pages. After all, when you read a book you tend to recall the writing, not the blank pages."

"True enough." He set the pewter mug aside. "I can't swear for certain that I remember it having writing in it, but I just don't believe it was ever mostly blank. Now it is."

Chase's expression didn't betray his feelings as he considered the mystery. "Well, I admit that it does sound strange — but is it really a problem? Richard never was one for prophecy; he wouldn't have heeded them anyway."

Zedd rose up and stabbed a finger at the book, tapping insistently. "Chase, this book has been here in the Keep for thousands of years. For thousands of years it's had writing prophecy in it. I'm sure of it. Now it's suddenly blank. Does that sound trivial to you?"

Chase shrugged as he hooked his thumbs in his back pockets. "I don't know, Zedd. I'm no expert in such things. I think the day that you have to come to me for answers about books of prophecy is the day you're in big trouble. You're the wizard, you tell me."

Zedd put his weight on his hands as he leaned toward the man.

"I can't recall anything that used to be in this book. I can't recall anything about the blank places in all the other books of prophecy that have missing text."

Chase's expression turned grim. "There are others with blank places'?"

Zedd nodded as he smoothed back his hair. He gazed in the darkening window, trying to see himself reflected, but he couldn't, yet-it was still too light outside.

"Does my hair need to be brushed?" He looked back at Chase. "Does it stick out too much?"

Chase cocked his head. "What?"

"Never mind," Zedd muttered with a dismissive wave of his hand. "The point is, I've discovered blank places in a number of books of prophecy and I'm baffled by it."

Chase shifted his weight and folded his arms. His brow bunched, He was beginning to look seriously concerned, which on Chase meant that he looked like he thought he might need to slaughter large numbers of people.

"Maybe I'd better stay for now. We don't have to leave tomorrow. We can wait until you find out if there is some sort of trouble at hand."

Zedd sighed, beginning to wish that he wouldn't have mentioned any thing. This wasn't really a problem for Chase. Zedd shouldn't have gotten the man all worked up over something he wouldn't understand or could do anything about. It was just that it was so blasted odd.

"That isn't necessary. This kind of trouble isn't likely to need to have you strangle it into submission. It's an entirely different kind of problem. This is book trouble. I don't want to burden you with worry. It's my area and I'm sure I'll figure it out sooner or later. I only wondered what you might think of such a thing. Sometimes it helps to have a fresh view."

Chase waggled a finger over the book. "Well, what does that last part mean? That first contest him before they plot to heal him part? You said it was prophecy about Richard. That sounds like trouble-like someone In going to plot against him."

"No, not necessarily." Zedd wiped a hand across his mouth as he tried to think of a way to explain it. "The word plot in prophecy often means nothing more sinister than to 'lay out a plan. Like plotting a course of action, you might say. In this case, the passage was talking about those who are his closest advisors, his allies, so when it talks about plotting to heal him, it most likely means that they must first convince him that he needs their help and then once they are able to convince him, these allies-that would most likely be some of us-are going to set about planning a way to heal him."

"Heal him from what?"

"It doesn't say."

"So then it isn't serious."

Zedd gave the boundary warden a meaningful look. "I believe that may be the part that is blank."

"Then it is serious. Richard is in trouble. He needs help. Maybe he's hurt."

Zedd shook his head unhappily. "In my experience prophecy is rarely so overt."

"But that could be the case."

Zedd appraised the man for a moment. "We're a long way from needing to dream up things to worry about. In addition, the chronology of prophecy is always troublesome. For all I know, the part we're discussing could have already happened. It could, for instance, be talking about a time Richard had a fever as a child and I had to find the proper herbs to heal him."

"Then it just as well could be past history."

Zedd turned up his palms in frustration. "It could be. Without the missing text-or knowing a lot more about prophecy than I do-it's probably impossible to put this in the context of his life."

Chase nodded but then stepped out of the way as the door opened and Rikka swept into the room. She reached out to take the bowls, but paused when she saw they were still full.

"What's the matter? Why haven't you eaten?" When Zedd waved a hand as if trying to swish the issue away, she looked over her shoulder at Chase. "Is he sick? I thought he would have scraped the bowl clean by now and licked the smell off the ceiling. Maybe we had better think of a way to make him eat."

"See what I mean about plotting?" Zedd said to Chase. "It could be no more serious than that."

Rikka surveyed Zedd's face for a moment, as if checking for any overt signs of insanity, then turned her attention to Chase. "What is he jabbering about?"

"Something about books," Chase told her.

She turned a growing glare on Zedd. "Well, after all the trouble I went to fixing you this meal, you are going to sit right down and eat it. If you don't, then I'll feed it to the worms in the midden heap, instead. Then, when you get hungry later and come to me complaining, you will only have yourself to blame. You'll get no sympathy from me."

Startled, Zedd blinked at her. "What? What did you say?"

"I'm going to feed it to the worms if you don't.»

"Bags!" Zedd snapped his fingers. "That's it!" He held his arms out to her. "Rikka, you're a genius. I could hug you."

Rikka straightened defiantly. "I prefer to accept your adoration from afar."